"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Monday, May 28, 2018

It May Be Difficult Not To, But Trump Shouldn't Be Obsessed Over-- Leave That To Mueller's Team

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Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was on Meet the Press yesterday dancing on the head of a pin held up to the camera by Chuck Todd: "I do hope that somebody runs on the Republican side other than the president, if nothing else than simply to remind Republicans what conservatism is and what Republicans have traditionally stood for." Traditionally.Meanwhile Marco Rubio was on This week demonstrating once again that he is always open to voting against Trump's trespasses against decency, the constitution and humanity-- until Trumpanzee barks at him. Little Marco votes with Señor T 97.2% of the time. Only 7 Senate Republicans have adhered more faithfully to Trump's vile and unconstitutional agenda-- and all of them have adhesion scores of 97.3%. Rubio sounded like a ruffled toy poodle when he told Martha Raddatz that he had seen "no evidence" of Trump's whacked out Spy-Gate charges and that the FBI was focussing on "individuals with a history of links to Russia that were concerning... As far as what I have seen to date, it appears that there was an investigation not of the campaign, but of certain individuals who have a history that we should be suspicious of, that predate the presidential campaign of 2015, 2016. And when individuals like that are in the orbit of a major political campaign in America, the FBI, who is in charge of counterintelligence investigations, should look at people like that," said Rubio, a puffed up member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

And Trump wasn't on TV. He never goes on any programs where he could be asked questions. Instead he was locked in his nursery, diapers unchanged and reeking of shit, tweeting up a storm of nonsense.

Whose reputation is in tatters? Rudy Giuliani's more than anyone's. Yesterday he was on CNN's State of the Unionembarrassing himself that Mueller's investigation is part of Trumpanzee's Spy-Gate fantasy. Politico offered an alternative interpretation of who twittery Trump was referring to as having their reputations in tatters.

Trump has repeatedly called special counsel Mueller's probe a "witch hunt," a charge that in recent weeks has been coupled with renewed calls from his allies to end the probe soon. Some House lawmakers have gone even further, arguing that reports stating a confidential FBI informant met with Trump campaign officials means the investigation is irrevocably tainted."With Spies, or “Informants” as the Democrats like to call them because it sounds less sinister (but it’s not), all over my campaign," Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday, "even from a very early date, why didn’t the crooked highest levels of the FBI or “Justice” contact me to tell me of the phony Russia problem?"It's unclear who Trump is referring to when he says individuals have "went back home in tatters." A score of former campaign aides have reportedly met with Mueller's team along with congressional investigators-- racking up significant legal bills in the process.Mueller has so far secured at least five guilty pleas, including from former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, and former campaign aide Rick Gates. Papadopoulos' conversation with an Australian diplomat about getting "dirt" on Hillary Clinton has been reported to be the impetus for the FBI's original investigation into the president's campaign that has become the Mueller probe.The president has attacked the investigation throughout Memorial Day weekend, returning to some of his favorite line of attacks including the political affiliations of Mueller's team and claiming that the question of Russian interference was made up by Democrats after losing the 2016 campaign. Some of those attacks were echoed by attorney Rudy Giuliani, who told CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union that there was no justification for the Mueller probe to continue.

What Trump doesn't want is for Democrats and independents to ignore his tomfoolery and outrageous viciousness and talk directly to voters about what voters are interested in talking about. Randy Bryce spent the weekend, not obsessing over Trump's childish and incoherent tweets but on staying focussed on his own message:

I've worked minimum wage jobs in the past, so I know what every other working person knows: no one can survive on $7.25.It's been eleven years since Congress raised the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour-- but it's still not enough. Everyone, no matter what they do for work, deserves dignity and no one who works full time should ever be forced to live in poverty. Period.

That's why I'm fighting to raise the minimum wage to $15 and support all working families.Working folks all across the country are struggling just to make ends meet while multi-millionaire, lifelong politicians are busy putting corporations and special interests first in Washington, D.C.Just last September, Paul Ryan was asked at a New York Times Times Talk, "What's the minimum wage in Wisconsin?" And guess what? He didn't know-- someone had to shout out the answer from the audience. And Bryan Steil, Ryan's handpicked replacement and a corporate lawyer who helped outsource jobs, will only carry on Ryan's tradition of ignoring the problems working people face.It's long past time for working families like mine to have someone fighting for us in Congress. So when I get to Congress, that's what I'm going to do. Fight. For all of us.

Another Blue America-endorsed congressional candidate, Paul Clements, who didn't mention Trump in his Memorial Day message to supporters, Paul Clements (MI-06), instead talked about gun sanity instead. "Of course, I was frustrated hearing about the middle school shooting in Indiana yesterday," he wrote. We all grow more frustrated with each occasion of tragic news in our nation's schools--and in other public spaces that are supposed to be safe. As I posted on Twitter yesterday, although my thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the shooting, I agree with our nation's rising and energetic students: thoughts and prayers are not enough. When I get to Congress, I will stand up to the National Rifle Association. The NRA's extremism has created unhealthy political conversations and dangerous public spaces. Nobody is is trying to take all our guns away. Universal background checks and limiting military-style weapons are common-sense safety measures I will fight for in Congress... Please join me in rejecting the NRA and taking real action to protect our nation's schools and other public spaces."And yesterday Jared Golden sent an e-mail telling his supporters why they wouldn't be hearing from his campaign today-- and it had decidedly NOTHING whatsoever to do with Trump. "I wanted to let you know that you won't be hearing from me or my campaign at all tomorrow-- in person, on the phone, or online. I won't be actively campaigning on Memorial Day. It's a day to remember, and to give thanks. To all of the men and women who have given their lives in service to America, and to their family members, thank you with all my heart. Tomorrow, I'll be thinking about and honoring the men I served with who didn't come home with us, and praying for their families. We won't ever forget your sacrifice."

3 Comments:

Yes and no. you shouldn't obsess over trump and trumpism. Just recognize it as what America and americans have become.

But don't leave anything to Mueller's team. He's not doing what DWT thinks he's doing. He's, in fact, doing exactly the opposite of that. Sadly, because of what americans have become, we'll rely on that horseshit charade of a pretense to investigate and find what everyone already knows to be true.

Americans are now the dumbest most greedy and most filled with manifold hatreds of any first-world people anywhere. We became so because we allowed our left to become utterly corrupt without any regard whatsoever for the ideas behind our constitution, rule of law, and, most of all, everyone who is not a major donor to their pockets. We allowed it. And we validate it every 2 years at election time. It does not matter what they do nor what they openly refuse to do. We re-affirm them every time.

Thus, we *ARE* them. By their deeds they say "fuck you" to us all... therefore we say "fuck us all" to ourselves.

This is lesser evilism over 40 years.

The only difference between us/US and Germany '32 through '45 is they got there quicker. As I said, one defining trait of americans is we're slow.

But we don't lack for the evil and stupidity to get there. We'll arrive soon.

To Anonymous at 10:41, what do you suggest ordinary individual progressives do about the corrupt leadership/candidates/incumbents of the left? Offer some suggestions please. At the ballot box we are repeatedly faced with “the lesser of two evils”. What to do? Refrain from voting altogether? That’s part of why we’ve reached this sad state of affairs!

11:25, if a candidate is not acceptable, don't vote for him/her/it. period.

If you have a socialist, green or other "nonviable" party candidate that seems better, vote. If not, write in someone... yourself for instance. If you're uncomfortable with that, leave it blank.

I remain flummoxed that when facing a choice between a hitler and a Mussolini, americans can actually feel ok about checking the box for Mussolini. When the "rise and fall of..." is written about the usa, it will have the most difficult time trying to rationalize this.